Control lever arrangement for clothes-washing machines



1951 R. E. SHEAHAN 2,537,795

CONTROL LEVER ARRANGEMENT FOR CLOTHES-WASHING MACHINES Filed April 14, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l Invent or 2 Robert) E. Shgahan b Wflw His AU) orneg.

R. E. SHEAHAN 2,537,795 CONTROL LEVER ARRANGEMENT FOR CLOTHES-WASHING MACHINES.

Jan. 9, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 14, 1948 Inventor". Rqbert E. Sheahan, b3 W His AGbovneg.

Patented Jan. 9, 1951 UNITED iszrAres ()FFICE CONTROL; LEVER ARRANGEMENT FOR CBOTHES WASHINGEJiIACHINlES Robert E. Shea-han Bridgeport, Gorin :a -ssignor --to.GeneraLElectrio Company,:a corporation of t N ew; York -Apiilication Apl ill l, 1948fSehihlNMZOQQM 3;Claims. (01558-2433) .1 2 silt: is -.,the;-,ipractice; incimarketingghomeiclothes -mountedin =a gearcasing" I 4 supported by= skirt v washing machines,'tozsupplyathe. same;-machine -2 as"shownrclearly in'Fig; 1. The motor is supazeither-withoutiorswithepump-tor emptying the ported on casing- M by brackets l5. Rack I3is a. tub, the emptying pump being; .1 suppliedlateadmoved into a-nd out of engagement-with pinion -difiDa1wCOSt. -;Such emachines ;.have 5172, control 5 "'5-"oy ashort ro'd' lfislid b y mounted 1 :handle on'lever for the .washingemechanism; and "ingin-a w ll f' e n M and Connected 1 0 r aangadditional control handle 501. .lev,er.1 'forthe e I laby= a head- 11 which is U-shaped incross-secpump h a pump is furnjshed .;This;means tion. Bar 1 lis'slid'ably positioned between the i-ithat inthexcase of; alclothescwashing; machine -two--sides =-of the U-shaped heeidaud is guided shaving, an emptying, pump gontrol ;mean ,for 10'- therein by'a'tongue lfi on the head located in a A. both-lthe ashin i, ham and fO1, the pump longitudinal-1yextending slot'in the bar as shown ".must. be, provided. .Heretofore,..as. far as I; am n*-F S-"D y Connected tut'he laware itghas: been the. practice. to provide.two -end en ree-1s as' is"indica-te'd-' at [9. Bar 11 is ise aratev control, handle s,vone-.-for the washing -biased to' -a position-Where rachfl is out of ensmeansandlthe other forithe emptying pump. Jigagemeht -"p n y p g 7 0' W ch sAniobject-ofmy invention :is, to providein con- "surrounds the outer endofrod' I6 a 51 0- nection withaclothes washing machinehaving -==sitioned between the outer surface ofa wall of van. emptying pump a.singleicontrol levervuor concasing M and an' adjustable collar 2| on rod itrol handle for-both the washinggmechanismand -16. -"Rod ilfi' is: moved to bring" rack '13 into en- ;the emptying pump, the lever or handlehavingflfl 'gag e -W l y 0am level??? D three.positions,.a neutral or -foiT,,:-positi0n,-;-:a otecl on'a -bracket23"fixed tocasing M, an end .wash -position,,and-a pump w-position, and the ot the cam lever 22 having a cam'surfacewhich construction being suchw -thattit may. or maysnot e es-a headlon-the'end When C be,supp1ied with the -machine depending on lever 22 is in the Fig.' 1 positiony 'the rack 13 is wheth 1 13 machineljsfiquipped.with an outi ofzengagement".withi'pinions5. Whentcam .BInptying .pump lever: 22.-:is turned counterclockwise L as viewed in further object. of myv\-inv.ention isetoapro- 1, the Cam surface On the end Off-lever?" -izide.a control leverage arrangement which i zizrideseacrossithe head onthe: end? of. rod l6izand ssimple inhstructure, reliable ande-convenient, in hmoves the rackdtinto enga e W h h p operatiomuan'd capableof being. Drovidedtat rel- .'.ion 5. nativelyflow cost. Thev construction so. far described is .a; known .JlFor vaiconsicleration .of iwhatwIlibelieveto-be tiS O ed; fi llyi nPatent 2,14 05 novel and my, invention, attention is directed B, Patented n ry .0, 93.9, assi d t e 'totlthe' following descriptionsand..,the,claims..aprnsamesassigneeia v e instan epp ca ion. w y pended thereto. invention has to do with a leveregearrangement In 'the;drawing, Fig. 1 is, a sectional plan view .f-or-actuatingcam lever-.22 and-foreffecting: optaken on line 'l 'ofIEig. 2 ofalclothes washing t n f. a pt n pump. machine equippedwith 'control'me'chanismseme p y p p is indicated at s "'bdclying myinventionj Figfz is,ajSSctiOnaIiVieW .let isconnected to the bottom of tub l byaa "taken f'1jne"2;2;Figf1;Fjgf3 i f taiff a f lengthof flexible hose 26 and its outlet is con- "-mentaryviewrand Fig.4"is aperspective view'of ct a discharge hose'z'lrf p mp certain parts. Only thoseportions of the washd a n s a pai of rigid bracket s 28 y m ans 'ing" machine-are shown inithe'. drawing'as are ,iof. which the pump asa unit is pivotally mounted *required for the illustration and an 'understandonastationary shaft 29a fixed .at one endto "*ing of the-invention. one of "the motor mounting brackets l5 (see Fig.

' Referring to the drawing, lindicates' the 'tub 4). For driving the pump, the pump-shafthas "of a washing 'machine,'2 a'skirtwhi'ch'surrounds "fixed thereon a. friction wheel 29 adapted to be the-legs *(notshown) of the-machineQ3theagibrought into and out of engagement with a fricftator, 4' the agitator shaft provide'dwith a pintion wheel 30 on the motor shaft by swinging *ion- 5 at its lowerend; and" 6' the electric motor the pump bodily on pivotshaft 29a. The pump which, through a'shaft' extensionl; worm 8 and is biased to a' position wherein friction wheel 29 *worm'wheel 9,-'drives the wringer post I0,'1and "is 'in'engagement with friction wheel 30 by'a 'Fthroughan eccentric bar H pivotaliyconnected springtl fixed at one e d o' n p y D to wheel 9 at l2, and a rack 'l3'on the'barfdrives *"jecting' arm 32 rigidly attached to the pump cas- 'theagitatorshaftl. The 'gearingispuitably "'ingand at the other end to apin 35 in a'lug 33 on gear casing I4. It is moved against the biasing action of spring 3| to a position wherein friction wheel 29 is out of engagement with friction wheel 30 by a cam lever 34 pivoted between its ends on the pin 35 on lug 33 and having at one end a cam head 36 which engages the free end of arm 32. The other end of lever 34 is connected by a pivot link 31 to an actuating arm 38, which at its inner end is pivoted on gear casing l4 as shown at 39. The free end of arm 38 projects out through an elongated slot 40 in skirt 2. Cam lever 22 is connected to actuating lever 38 by a pivot link 4|. Actuating lever 38 is biased toward the lower edge of slot 40 by an angularly extending spring 42 which at one end is connected to lever 38 and at its other end to casing i4. Slot 40 has ofiset notches 43, 44 and 45 which are marked pump, ofi and wash to indicate the operating positions of control lever 38.

When control lever 38 stands in notch 44, the

intermediate off position, cam levers 22 and 34 are so positioned that rack 13 is out of en- I gagement with pinion 5, and cam head 36 is in holding friction wheel engagement with arm 32, 29 from engagement with friction wheel 33. It will be understood that friction wheel 28 need be separated from friction wheel 38 by only a small fraction of an inch so that the swinging movement of the pump on its pivoted support need be but very slight. For washing, lever 38 is moved from off position to wash position. This movement, through link 4!, turns cam lever 22 to bring rack l3 into engagement with pinion 5. Cam head 36 moves with respect to arm 32 toward the left as viewed in Fig. 2, thus continuing to hold friction wheel 29 from engagement with friction wheel 33. When control lever 35 is moved from off position to pump position,

cam head 35 is moved from engagement with arm 1 32, permitting spring iii to bring friction wheel 29 into engagement with friction wheel 30 to drive the pump. Cam lever 22 moves with respect to rod is but does not effect movement of the rack i3 into engagement with pinion 5. In the drawing, the control is shown as being in pump position.

It will be noted that the pump, the control lever and the linkage mechanism all are carried by and pivoted on the gear casing 54 so that without substantial change in the machine the pump and the single control may or may not be provided. At the same time, the leverage and linkage arrangement is simple in structure and easy to operate.

What I claim as new and desire to'secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

i. In a clothes washing machine, a tub, a gear casing secured relative to said tub, a washing device disposed within said tub and having an actuating shaft terminating within said casing; a drive motor; gearing within said casing for connecting the drive motor to said actuating shaft, said gearing including a shift member for optionally connecting said shaft to, or disconnecting it from, said motor; means biasing said shii't member into disconnect position; cam means for positioning said shift member to efiect connection of said shaft to said motor; a pump pivotally mounted relative to said motor; pump drive means connectable with said motor upon movement of said pump relative to said motor; means normally urging said pump into driven 7 connection with said motor;cam means for moving said pump drive means out of driven connection with said motor; a control lever, and linkage means mechanically connecting said control lever with both of said cam means for conjointly operating the same to effect disconnection of the pump from the motor and connection of the said actuating shaft thereto upon rotation of said lever in one direction, and connection of the pump drive means with the motor and disconnection of the actuating shaft therefrom upon rotation of the lever in the opposite direction 2. In a clothes Washing machine, washing means having an actuating shaft, a casing affixed relative to said washing means, gearing in the casing engageable with said shaft for actuating the washing means, a motor for driving said gearing, an emptying pump pivotally mounted on the casing relative to said motor and having drive means movable optionally into or out of driving connection with said motor according to the direction of movement of said pump relative to said motor, a first lever pivoted on the casing, means controlled by movement of said first lever in one direction for effecting connection of said gearing to the shaft of the washing means and responsive to movement of said first lever in the opposite direction to effect disengagement of said gearing and shaft, a second lever pivoted on said casing, means controlled by movement of said second lever in one direction for efiecting pivotal movement of said pump away from driven connection with said motor and responsive to movement of said second lever in the opposite direction to pivotally move said pump into driven connection with said motor, a single control lever pivoted on the casing, pivoted link means connecting said control lever to said first and second levers to effect movement of said levers conjointly in their said one direction when said control lever is moved to one control position and to effect movement of said levers conjointly in their said opposite direction when said control lever is moved to another control position.

3. In a washing machine, the combination of a tub, a drive motor, washing means in the tub, a gear casing supported beneath the tub, an actuating shaft for the washing means extending into said casing, gearing in the casing connected to said motor for operating the washing means by engagement with the shaft thereof, a first lever pivoted on said gear casing, means controlled by movement of said first lever in one direction to a first position for efiecting connection of said gearing to the shaft of the washing means and responsive to movement of said first lever in the opposite direction toward a second position to effect disengagement of said gearing and shaft, a pump for emptying the tub having a pump casing pivotally mounted on said gear casing, a friction wheel on the pump shaft, a friction wheel on the motor shaft, means normally urging said friction wheels into driving engagement, an arm fixed to said pump casing, a second lever pivoted on said gear casing, cam means engageable with said arm and controlled by movement of said second lever in one direction toward a first position to effect pivoting of said pump to move said friction wheels out of driving engagement and responsive to movement of said second lever in the opposite direction to a second position to permit pivoting of said pump to move said friction wheels into engagement, a single control lever pivoted on said gear casing, and pivoted link means connecting said control lever 5 to said first and second levers to effect movement of said levers conjointly in their said one direction to'their said first positions in response to movement of said control lever to a wash position, to efiect movement of said lever conjointly in their said opposite direction to their said second positions in response to movement of said control lever to a pump position, and to efiect movement of said levers conjointly to a neutral position between said first and second positions in response to movement of said control lever to an intermediate off position between said wash and said pump positions whereby both said washing means shaft and drive gearing and said friction wheels are disengaged.

ROBERT E. SHEAHAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record i'n the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

